Coffer-dam.



No'. 732,401. n PATENTED JUNE 30,1903.. T. A. DUN GAN. COPPER DAM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1902.. no loDnL.

UNITED STATES Patented' .fune so, 1903;

PATENT OFFICE.

COFFER-DAIVI.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 732,401, dated J' une 30, 1903. Application filed August 18,190.2. Serial No. 119,992. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. DUNGAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffer-Dams, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improveN ments in coffer-dams, the purposes of which are, iirst, to render the driving of the piles, of which said dams are composed easy and to make it possible to drive the saine to a greater depth; sec-ond, io provide means whereby the various parts are interlocked and tight joints produced between them, and, third, to provide a construction capable of being erected in either curved orrectilineal form. In addition to these main purposes certain minor improvements have been effected, which will readily appear in connection with the description of the form and operation.

The invention is illustratedin the drawings by means of ve figures, of which- Figure l isa horizontal section in line 1 l of Fig. 2, showing a section of the dam in position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a similar section, broken away in section at certain places to show the construction and interlocking of the parts. horizontal section showing a single pile and portions of two adjacent interlocking parts. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective of the lower end of one of the piles and one of the parts interlocking therewith, and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section in plane 5 5 of Fig. 4.

The preferred construction is shown in the figures and will be described minutely. It is to be understood, however, that the broader features of my invention are not limited to the details of construction illustrated, it being possible to vary the saine considerably without departing from the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the preferred form of pile represented will be clearly understood from Fig. 3 and 4, and consists of an outer shell made up of oppositely-disposed channel-beams B B, the adjacent edges of their iianges being separated a slight distance by means of a central core or filling D, preferably of wood and perforated longitudinally, a pipe CZ being preferably iitted in the per- Fig. 3 is an enlarged,

foration and extended from top to bottom. The two channels are secured upon the iilling in the form shown by means of rivets l?. Upon the lower end of the pile is secured a preferably cast point C, preferably perforated'to receive the pipe d and grooved at c upon its opposite edges. The pipe d furnishes a passage through which water may be forced downward out of the bottom of the pile to clear the way for the sinking of the latter, and the grooves c upon the edges of the point C direct the water laterally to clear the way for the interlocking connections between the piles. One of said interlocking connections is shown at a, and what are known as deckbeams are preferred for this purpose, the flange of one of said deck-beams being firmly embraced between the channels B B b means of flanges upon one side and the iilling D upon the other side and being driven with the pile to which it is thus connected. Upon the opposite side of. the pile a groove CZ is provided in the filling adapted to receive the bulb o. of the deck-beam, and the adjacent flanges of the channel irons embrace the web of the deck-beam below the bulb to secure the latter tightly in the groove d. The lower end of each vdeck-beam is preferably sharpened, as shown in Fig. 4, to assist in sinking it in the soil, and the material through which it passes is cleared away for it by the water which has been ejected from the lower portion of the last preceding pile and also by the water that is discharged from the bottom of the one which is driven, together with the deck-beam.

Fig. l illustrates the ease with which a corner is rounded, and Fig. 2 the manner in which a pile is driven.' In the latter figure .it will be noticed that the bulb a' of the deckprovided with means for interlocking therewith, said piles being longitudinally perforated and provided with means for directing water from the point in the direction of the interlocking parts, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 14th day of August, A. D. 1902.

THOMAS A. DUNGAN.

Witnesses:

S. BLIss, RUSSELL WILEs. 

